Bored bow-wows find relief at doggy daycare

Steve Love

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, April 28, 2004

She said dogs are too often left to their own devices during the day while their owners go off to work. Some might feel a little guilty leaving their dog alone in the backyard, house or kennel, so they get a companion dog. But if there's one thing worse than a bored dog, it's two bored dogs.

"Trash parties," as Bishop calls them, are the highlight of a lonely dog's day. Or maybe they'll chew up the furniture, dig in the flowerbed, chase the neighbor's cat, and so on and so forth. Many of these behavioral problems could be avoided, Bishop said, if dogs were treated like one of the family instead of a possession.

Bishop is the owner of Mucho Poocho, which she describes as a "fun, safe place for your fur-kids to spend the day." Just five years ago, most people might have thought she was off her rocker, but she said doggy daycare has been gaining popularity and acceptance recently.

"There are about 600 daycares across the U.S.," she said, "but there was not a daycare for dogs in this area. So I wanted to meet that need."

She said a lot of kennels offer day boarding, but it's not nearly the same thing as daycare. With boarding, she said dogs are still kept in enclosed areas with a few 20-minute leash walks during the day. At Mucho Poocho, dogs get free-play all day long.

"High-energy dogs can burn off that energy," Bishop said. "That way owners can go home from work and not have to worry about the sofa being torn up."

Bishop said dogs need family interaction and guidelines just like children do. Doggy daycare teaches them to be friendly with other dogs and people. She said exposing them to the world outside the home makes for a confident dog that enjoys family outings.

At Mucho Poocho, basic obedience training is also reinforced. For example, during cookie breaks, every dog has to sit for a treat. But the best part is they'll find a bunch of playmates who are ready and willing to play tug-of-war, keep away and tag.

"I guarantee you," she said, "when your dog comes to daycare, they will play harder than they ever have in their life."

She said most dogs can't handle going to daycare everyday, so they usually attend Tuesdays and Thursdays, or Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It's usually enough to wear them out by the time they go home. That's a good thing, she said, because then they'll be well-behaved. One couple found three days a week at daycare was enough to tire their dog out on the weekends too - no more getting woken up at 7 a.m. on Saturday.

Bishop said Mucho Poocho will take almost any dog, but there are some requirements. First, aggressive dogs - you know who you are - will not be accepted. Every dog that comes through is screened to make sure they play well with others. They must be current on all shots and certified to be in good health by a veterinarian. Flea treatment programs are also required. And dogs older than six months should be spayed or neutered.

She said many places do an "interview" where the dog will meet the daycare's employees and a few of their dogs. The problem with that is the owner is usually present, and therefore dogs are on good behavior. Instead, Mucho Poocho treats a dog's first day at daycare as the interview. Because of that policy, they only accept one new dog each day, so reservations are required.

Mucho Poocho now offers transportation to dogs within a certain area.

"We have a little yellow school bus," Bishop said. "And we pick up and drop off dogs before and after daycare."

Mucho Poocho, open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., also features supervised play groups and lots of individual attention. Located at 2018 Wirt Rd., the daycare offers both a 2,000-square foot indoor play area and an 18,000-square foot fenced outdoor play area.